Fuel pump



arch 17, 1959 R. F. MoRGAN 2,877,713

FUEL PUMP a Filed Aug. 9. 1957 IN' VENTOR ATTD RNEYS United States PatentO i" FUELPUMP z W Rubie F. Molrgn, Trussv iuejAia. Application August 9, 1957, Serial No. 677,248 2 Claims. (Cl. 103-89) This invention relates to fuel pumps used partcularly for conveying liquid fuel from storage or supply tanks to carburetors and cylinders of internal combustion engines, and in particular a fuel pump having screw-like blades on a rotor with edges of the blades that contact the inner surface of a surrounding housing formed of rubber or a yielding plastic wherein substantially all possibility of sparking is eliminated.

The purpose of this invention is to provide an improved fuel pump for explosive materials wherein all rubbing or scraping elements are formed of resilient material to prevent scraping which results in sparking.

Various types of fuel pumps are used on internal combustion engines and in order to eliminate sparks pumps of the meshing gear type are used almost universally. In some instances, however, it is desirable to use a pump of the screw-vane type wherein fuel is conveyed through a small housng with the fuel moving continuously from an intake to an outlet opening and in this type of construction there is the possibility of foreign matter passing through the pump with fuel and causing a scrapng action that may result in producing a spark. With this thought in mind this invention contemplates a rotary pump having screw-like vanes with the edges formed of rubber or other resilient material and wherein the extended edges of the vanes are supported with springs by which the pressure of fuel passing through the pump is regulated.

The object of this invention is, therefore, a provide a rotary fuel pump having spiral or screw-like vanes on a rotor with extended edges of the vanes supported by springs and with means for rotating the rotor for conveying liquid fuel through the housing.

Another object of the invention is to provide a fuel pump for internal combustion engines in which the pump is designed to be installed on engines now in use.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved fuel pump for internal combustion engines in which means is provided in the pump for regulating the pressure of fuel pumped thereby in which the pump is of a simple and economical construction.

With these and other objects and advantages in view the invention embodies a cylindrical housing, a shaft having a rotor thereon rotatably mounted in the housing, spirally disposed vanes having outer edges of resilient material mounted on the rotor, springs extended between outer edges of the blades and rotor, and inlet and outlet connections positioned on ends of the housing.

Other features and advantages of the invention will appear from the following description taken in connection with the drawing, wherein:

Figure 1 is an end elevational view showing the forward end of an internal combustion engine with the improved fuel pump mounted on the upper left-hand side of the engine block.

Figure 2 is a longitudinal section through the improved fuel pump taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 1 with the parts ICE 2 shown on an enlarged scale showing the rotor with the spirally disposed vanes mounted thereon.

Figure 3 is a view showing the rotor of the improved fuel pump with spiral plastic vanes thereof supported by.l

` 11 and 12 threaded on the ends, a rotor 13 carried by a shaft 14 rotatably mounted in the ends of the housing with bearings 15 and 16, spirally disposed vanes 17 positioned on the outer surface of the rotor 13 and having springs 18 for supporting resilient outer edges thereof, an intake connection 19 extended from the cap 11 at one end of the housing, and an outlet connection 20 extended from the opposite end of the housing.

The rotor 13 is integral with or mounted on the shaft 14 and the fins or blades 17 may be integral with the rotor or secured thereto by suitable means.

The blades may also be integral with or secured to the rotor, such as the rotor 13 and the outer edges of the blades may be provided with strips or bendable plastic or rubber with springs at spaced intervals for retaining the strips on the edges of the blades in contact with the inner surface of the housing and the pressure of fluid pumped by the device may be determined by the tension of the springs which permits the edges of the blades or vanes to yield when the pressure of the fluid being forced through the pump reaches a predetermined amount. The strips of rubber, plastic, or other suitable material may be attached to edges of the blades by a suitable adhesive, or by rivets, or other fastening means.

As illustrated in Figs. 2 and 4 the outer ends 21 of the springs are secured in openings 22 in the outer edges of the blades and the opposite ends of the springs are secured in eyes 23 positioned on the peripheral surface of the rotor 13. Should pressure in the pump exceed a predetermined amount the outer edges of the blades yield, compressing the springs 18, and permitting the fluid to remain in the pump housing.

The ends of the cylindrical casing 10 are threaded and the caps or heads 11 and 12 are threaded thereon as indicated by the numerals 24 and 25, in Fg. 2. The inner edges of the ball bearings 15 and 16 are mounted on the shaft 14 and the outer edges are mounted in the heads or caps at the ends of the cylinder. The shaft 14 is provided with an inner collar 26 and also with a set collar 27 having a set screw 28 therein, the collar 27 being positioned against a pulley 29 by which the shaft is driven by a V-belt 30.

The intake connection 19 is provided with a threaded nipple 31 and the outlet connection 20 is provided with a couplng nut 32 by which the pump may be installed in a fuel supply line.

Operation The improved fuel pump of this invention is installed in a fuel supply line between a storage tank and carburetor and upon rotation of the crank shaft 33 of tlie engine 34 upon which the pump is installed fuel is drawn into the fitting 19 and discharged through the fitting 20 so that the fuel is supplied to the carburetor and engine.

The pressure of the fluid is Controlled 'by the tension of the springs 18 as with the tension of the springs determined, springs are used so that upon a predetermined pressure building up in the pump the resilient elements at the upper edges of the blades yield with the device functoning as a bypass.

It will be understood that modifications, within the Scope of the appended claims, may be made in the design Patented Mar. 17, 1959 and arrangement of the parts without departing from the spirit of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. In a fuel pump, the combination which comprises a cylindrical housing, heads threaded on the ends of the housing, each of said heads having a centrally located opening therein, bearings mounted on the inner surface of said heads in alinement with said openings, a shaft extended through the openings in the heads on the hous ing and rotatably mounted in said bearings, spiral blades mounted on the shaft, strips of resilient material on outer edges of the blades, resilient means for retaining outer edges of the strips of material in engagement with the inner wall of the housing, an intake connection at one end of the housing, an Outlet connection at the opposite end of the housing, and rotating means on one end of the shaft.

2. In a fuel pump, the combination which compi'ises a cylndrical housing, heads removably mounted on ends of the housing, each of said heads having a centrally located opening therein, a shaft extended through the openings in said heads longitudinally of the housing, bearings mounted on the inner surfaces of said heads in alinement with the openings therein for rotatably mounting the shaft, a rotor in the housing and positioned on the shaft, spiral vanes extended from the outer surface of the rotor, strips of resilient material positioned on outer edges of the vanes, and coil Springs secured to the strips of resilient material for retaining said strips in engagernent with the inner surface of the cylindrical housing, said Springs permitting the strips of resilient material to yield When material circulated by the rotor reaches a predetermined pressure.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 775,293 Bowman Nov. 22, 1904 1,762,708 Allred June 10, 1930 l,795,588 Wilson Mar. 10, 1931 2,132,133 Smith Oct. 4, 1938 2,235,052 Trier Mar. 18, 1941 2,351,516 Jandasek June 13, 1944 2,406,499 Jandasek Aug. 27, 1946 2,533,399 Sadler et al Dec. 12, 1950 2,712,792 Snyder July 12, 1955 2,753,809 Garrison July 10, 1956 

